Display racks



Aug. 16, 1960 J. D. MALIFF DISPLAY RACKS 3 Sheets-Sheer. 1

Filed June 11, 1956 Im/en for John D. Mal/ff By his Attorney fu MM.

g- 1960 J. D. MALIFFY 7 2,949,192

DISPLAY RACKS Filed June 11, 1956 Fly. 4

3 Sheets-Sheet 2 By his A tzomey Aug. 16, 1960 Filed June 11, 1956 J. D.MALIFF DISPLAY RACKS 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 inuenfol" fa/m D. Mal/ff W Z8 Z8 5his Afforney DHSPLAY RACKS John D. Malifi, South Boston, Mass, assigncrto The Gillette Company, Boston, Mass., a corporation of Delaware FiledJune 11, 1956, Ser. No. 590,439

3 Claims. (Cl. 211-49) The present invention relates to the displayingof merchandise on retail store counters or at other locations to invitethe attention of prospective purchasers to the attractiveness of, andtheir need for, the goods being displayed. More particularly, theinvention concerns improved racks to which merchandise cases may bedetachably secured, and in certain respects is particularly pertinent toimproved racks to which merchandise cases are detachably secured instacked relation.

Display racks of the type shown in US. Patent No. 2,740,529, toSchladermundt et al., granted April 3, 1956, have proven very effectivein promoting the sale of merchandise through advantageous display. Thepresent invention incorporates novel improvements over such aconstruction, and provides economies thereover. It is to be noted thatthese racks are intended for use with merchandise display cases havingre-entrant surfaces forming vertically extending guideways or grooves.One such merchandise case particularly well adapted for displayingsafety razor sets is shown in US. Patent No. 2,702,116, to Shnitzler etal., dated February 15, 1955, and for purposes of illustration only,that merchandise case is herein described and illustrated with respectto the various aspects of my rack invention.

'It is the principal object of my invention to provide a display rackconstituting an improvement on the general type shown in theabove-mentioned Schladermundt patent. This improved rack is moreeconomical, not only in its. manufacture, but in its storage, shipmentand in other respects due to its great simplification, while at the sametime thewide range of utility of the earlier construction is retained.

Accordingly, my invention in one of its aspects comprises the provisionof a nonself-supporting display rack to which may be detachably securedmerchandise cases of the type having re-entrant surfaces formingvertically extending guideways. Mounting edges on the rack enter theseguideways to effect securement of the cases thereto, and an abutmentdisposed near the lower portion of the rack positions a displayed caseso that it provides support for the rack in an upright sense. Thus therack and the displayed cases combine to provide mutual support for eachother; the case maintains the rack upright while the rack maintains thecases in stacked relation.

My invention in another of its aspects comprises the provision of adisplay rack, to which may be secured a supply of merchandise cases inthe manner described above, formedwith its vertical dimension greatlyexceeding by several times at least its shortest base dimension, so thatseveral cases may be attached thereto in stacked relation. Further, thisaspect of the invention contemplates a rack which is, at leastinitially, substantially planar and formed of sheet material. When thusformed, great economies can be realized in shipping and storing displayracks.

The invention in a further related aspect comprises the be bowedinwardly to facilitate their introduction into the merchandise caseguideways. Upon being released these edges will more firmly enter thecase guideways under the influence of the resilient characteristics ofthe rack material, and thereby effectuate more secure attachment of thecases thereto.

My invention in yet another aspect involves the provision of aninitially fiat display rack formed of fibrous material such ascardboard. Again, the fibrous rack is provided with'mounting edges whichmay be bowed inwardly for insertion into re-entrant merchandise caseguideways. The cardboard has sufiicient natural resilience so that. theside edges will enter the case guideways and securely eifectuateattachment therebetween. In, racks of this general type it is commonpractice to slide the display cases therefrom as each case is removed.Normally, it would be expected that a rack formed of a fibrous materialwould either not be strong enough to serve this purpose, or wouldpossess such high frictional dharacteristics that the cases could not bereadily slid therefrom. However, certain unobvious discoveries have beenmade and will be described in detail below which enable the successfuluse of cardboard in accordance with the teachings of my invention.

,The above and other objects, features, and aspects of my invention willnow be described in greater detail by reference to the accompanyingdrawings and the novelty thereof, particularly pointed out in theappended claims.

.In the drawings:

Fig; 1 isra view, in perspective, of one form of my improved displayrack showing merchandise cases attached thereto;

Fig. 2 is a view, in perspective, showing another embodimentincorporating other aspects of my invention and also showing merchandisecases attached therevFig. 3 is a partial section taken on line 3-3 inFig. l; Fig. 4 isa view, in side elevation, of the display rack shown inFig. 2, indicating, in phantom the method of attachment of a merchandisecase thereto;

Fig. 5 is a partial view, in perspective, of the rack shown in, Fig. 2,particularly illustrating the manner in which a merchandise case. isdetached therefrom;

Fig. 6 is a section taken on the line 66 in Fig. 4, again illustrating,partially in phantom, the'manner of attaching a merchandise casethereto; and

Fig. 7 is a plan view of the preferred form of blank used in forming thedisplay rack of fibrous material illustrated in Fig. 2.

Referring now to the details of the drawings, Fig. 1 illustrates a sheetmetal display rack embodying various aspects of my invention, while Fig.2 illustrates a cardboard or fibrous sheet material display rackfabricated in accordance with aspects common to both embodiments as wellas other aspects of the invention.

Both the illustrated embodiments of the invention are intended for usewith merchandise display cases having re-entrant surfaces formingguideways or grooves. For purposes of illustration, razor set cases ofthe type disclosed in the above-mentioned Shnitzler patent are shownherein and designated by the reference character 8. These cases have, intheir rear walls, re-entrant surfaces which form guideways 10, forfurtherdetails of construction of these cases reference may be had tothe Shnitzler patent. From a further reading of this description, itwill be apparent that my invention is not limited to use in associationor combination with merchandise cases having this particular form ofguideway, nor, in fact, need the guideways be formed on a common wall ofthe case as is herein descriptively illustrated.

While my inventive concepts are not so restricted, it is contemplatedthat several display cases may be attached in stacked relation to myimproved display rack, as is indicated in Figs. 1 and 2. When thusstacked, a minimum of display space on a shopkeepers counter isrequired, and yet a sufficient supply is provided which does not needconstant replacement.

Referring more particularly to the sheet metal display rack illustratedin Figs. 1 and 3, it will be noted that this rack comprises twoelongated mounting edges 12 which may be fashioned by rolling the edgeof the rack material to provide rounded surfaces. In this embodiment,the edges 12 are offset from the body portion 14 of the rack by bentmarginal portions 11 of the body portion.

Individual merchandise cases 8 may be attached to the display rack byslipping them downwardly along the mounting edges 12 or the edges 12 maybe manually deflected inwardly to permit their insertion into theguideways 10. In any event the loweremost case 16 is brought to theextreme lower end of the display rack and positioned thereat by shortextensions 18, which may constitute tabs of the rack material foldedinwardly to er1- gage the undersurface of the lowermost merchandise caseand thus fix its position relative to the rack. The extensions 18 aredisposed to engage said lowermost case and prevent its removal from thedisplay rack in a downward direction. At the same time, the case ispositioned to provide support, in an upright sense, for the display rackand other merchandise cases which may be attached thereto. Thus, thedisplay rack is maintained in an upright position by the lowermostmerchandise case attached thereto since the rack itself is not stable,or sufiiciently stable, to support itself assuredly in an uprightposition. In this connection, it will be noted that the verticaldimension of the rack greatly exceeds by many times the shortest of itsbase dimensions; the latter dimension in the present embodiment beingthe distance from the rear of the body portion 14 to the forwardmostportion of the extensions 18.

By referring to the showing of the second embodiment in 'Fig. 4, theextent by which the vertical dimension can exceed one of the basedimensions will be seen with even greater clarity. 'This form of myinvention may be fabricated from a single blank 19 of fibrous sheetmaterial or cardboard such as is shown in Fig. 7. Starting with theblank 19, flap 20 is first folded inwardly along indicated fold-line 21against the body portion 22. The left-hand flap 24 may then be shearedalong the solid line 23 and then be folded inwardly along the indicatedfold-line 25 against the body portion 22 and the flap 20. The bottomflap 26 is then folded upwardly against the flaps 20 and 24. The endportions of the bottom flap 26 may then be bent outwardly a slightamount, along the oblique fold-lines illustrated, to form merchandisecase-engaging extensions 28 (Fig. 4). The various flaps except theextensions 28 and the areas immediately adjacent thereto may then beglued or otherwise secured in their folded positions. The display rackformed in this fashion is extremely in-' expensive and provides manyfringe economies over conventional racks. It will be noted, however,that this rack is substantially planar so that it may be shipped andstored, before use, with a minimum of space.

In using a rack formed from the type of blank illustrated in Fig. 7, orany rack of similar configuration fabricated of sheet material whidh issubstantially planar, .its mounting side edges 20 formed by the foldsalong the fold-lines 21 and 25 are bowed inwardly as illustrated inFigs. 4 and 6 and positioned for insertion into the merchandise caseguideways 10. Upon release the side edges 30 will engage the grooves 10under the influence of the resilient characteristics of the sheetmaterial to effect securement of the case to the display rack. Afterattachment the lowermost case may be slid downwardly until it ispositioned by the extensions 28 and resting in the fold formed therebywith the body portion 22. When so positioned, the lowermost case servesas a base member for the display rack as well as for other merchandisecases which may be attached thereto in stacked relation, as wasdescribed with respect to the embodiment shown in Fig. 1.

It will be apparent that both embodiments of my invention are uniquelysupported, that is there is a mutuality of support between the case andthe rack. A case combines with and provides support, in an uprightsense, for either rack shown while the rack, by engagement with the casegrooves 10, maintains the cases in stacked relation.

. While the display rack illustrated in Fig. 2 can be fabricated ofvarious different materials, I have found that further economies can beattained by using a cardboard construction. It would normally be assumedthat a fibrous material such as cardboard which had suflicient strengthto withstand the usage and abuse expected of such display racks wouldhave, in turn, such high frictional characteristics that it would beextremely inconvenient, if not impossible, to slide merchandise casesalong the mounting edges 39. We have found, however, that mechandisecases may readily be attached to the rack by bowing the edges 30inwardly as described above. During the interval of time, normal betweenassembly of the rack and cases and their appearance on a retailerscounter, a permanent set may occur in the flexed cardboard which fitsinto the grooves 10 of the merchandise cases. After this set hasoccurred, the resilient characteristics of the cardboard material aregreatly reduced, thus tending to reduce the force of engagement betweenthe cases and the display rack. Such reduction in force facilitates thesliding of the cases along the display rack.

The importance of the discussion of the sliding movement of the casesalong the display rack is of greater importance when it is realized thatthe normal manner of removing a merchandise case is to slide it upwardlyuntil it is disengaged from the mounting edges of the display rack. Inthis connection, it will be noted that the first and second embodimentsdescribed are provided with enlarged portions 34, 36 respectively, onwhich may be imprinted advertising or other information. 'In the firstembodiment merchandise cases may be freely moved upwardly along themounting edges 12 as they are offset with respect to the portion 34 towhich rigidity is added by the upward extension 37 of flap 24. However,the embodiment of Fig. 2 is designed to take advantage of the economiesoffered by a substantially planar form and its mounting edges 30 aretherefore not offset in this fashion. In order to permit removal of thedisplay cases by upward movement thereof, notches 38 and 38' areprovided immediately beneath the enlarged portion 36. The notch 38' isformed by a cutout 39 in the blank 19. These notches permit the endwalls of the display case adjacent the grooves 10 to pass in front ofthe display rack as each individual case is being removed, as isillustrated in Fig. 5.

'Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. The combination of an elongated rack and a del tachable merchandisecase, said case forming a base and having a top, bottom and continuousparallel side mounting edges and stop means positioned adjacent thebottom, said case having opposed re-entrant verticallyextending channelstherein, said mounting edges being positioned in and frictionallyengaging said channels of said case and said stop means engaging thebottom portion of said case, said edges and stop means positioning saidcase substantially normal to said rack and adjacent the bottom thereofso that said case, when the bottom thereof is positioned on a supportingsurface, supports said rack in upright position.

2. The combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein said rack is formedof fibrous cardboard and said stop means comprises a flap formedintegrally with and folded upwardly from the bottom of said rack.

3. The combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein said rack is formedof fibrous cardboard and said stop comprises a tab formed integrallywith the bottom of said rack, said tab extending outwardly from saidrack at substantially a right angle thereto.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS687,323 Lewis Nov. 26, 1901 1,723,944 Marsh Aug. 6, 1929 1,729,014Scherotto Sept. 24, 1929 1,929,167 Goldsmith Oct. 3, 1933 2,056,067Hines Sept. 29, 1936 2,302,140 Paulin Nov. 17, '1942 2,685,970 SpringerAug. 10, 1954 2,740,529 Schladermundt Apr. 3, 1956 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 2,949 192 August l6 1960John D. Maliff It is hereby certified that error appears in the-printedspecification of the above numbered patent requiring correction and thatthe said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 6, line 1 for "fibrous cardboard" read sheet metal same lineafter "stop" insert means -9 Signed and sealed this 11th day of April1961.

(SEAL) Attest:

ERNEsT SW'DER ARTHUR w. CROCKER Attesting Officer Acting Commissioner ofPatents

